Plaited skirt



March 14, 1944. OR v 2,344,452

PLEATED SKIRT Filed March 15, 1943 INVENTOR. J05 Ko esr 1 Patented Mar. 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 3 Claims.

,This invention relates to improvements in ladies skirts and has particular reference to an improved .pleated or plaited skirt that is adapted to be adjusted to fitthe wearer and which can be quickly folded into a very compact form without wrinkling the material.

An object of the present invention is to construct the skirt out of a series of accordion-like plaited sections of such size and arrangement and provided with means which will adapt the skirt to be quickly folded longitudinally into a width substantially equal to two of the plaits, and then rolled or transversely folded into a still more compact form.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a plaited skirt with a' waistband at its upper edge and with the plaits of the skirt extending straight from the lower edge of the skirt to the top and entirely across the waistband as well, and provided with means guiding'the plaits to folded position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lace or draw belt interlaced back and forth through the plaits of the waistband portion of the skirt in a manner that will cause the plaited sections to fold together at the outer plaited lines thereof when the free ends of the lace are drawn, or when the sections are moved along the lace. and which lace will also enable the plaitedwaistband portion of the skirt to be evenly adjusted to properly fit around the wearer.

Other objects and features of advantage will appear in the following description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the skirt shown in its open position and illustrating a series of plaited sections extending clear to the top of the waistband portion and with the lace or drawbelt interlaced through the plaits at the waistband.

of the skirt with the plaited sections drawn flat together by the lace into two flat stacks joined top and bottom by two double size sections or panels. I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section of a few of the plaits and one of the larger connecting panels showing the preferred manner of assembling and stitching, taken along the line 6''5 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing and to the different parts thereof, the numeral I designates the skirt as a whole which is made of any suitable material and is formed into a plurality of ta red plaited sections 8 that are defined by the plaited lines 9 and I0 respectively designating the inner and outer crease lines of the plaited sections.

The skirt proper may be made of a single piece of material, and the plaited lines being suitable tucks, the numeral 9 designating tucks that are Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevational view illus- Q trating the narrow width into which the skirt can be folded, when the lace isdrawn taut.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the skirt when the plaited sections are folded along their adapted to extend inwardly and the numeral ID the tucks that are adapted to extend outwardly, but preferably the skirt is made from a plurality of pieces of material sewed together along the inner lines 9, and the plaited lines l0 would be formed by creasing the material and cross stitching the material just below the apex of the crease as will be explained in more detail with reference to Fig. 6 of the drawing.

The plaited lines 9 and Ill and the plaits formed thereby extend from the bottom edge of the skirt clear over and to the top of the waistband l2, and the lace I4 is interlaced through the plaits of the waistband, suitable slots or holes l5 being provided, one of which is located through each plait section of the waistband. The upper portion of the skirt is preferably slit as at l6, forming an opening at the waist portion, and suitable means such as buttons or a conventional zipper ll being provided for closing the opening.

A feature of great importance is that at opposite points in the diameter of the skirt a pair of the sections 8 is made somewhat Wider than the remaining sections so that the remaining sections can be folded into two adjacent stacks of plaits connected top and bottom by these wider sections or panels which are in extended fiat position, as shown in Fig. 5, and wherein these wider sections or panels are designated 8'.

To aid these two larger sections or panels to extend perfectly fiat, their central or inner plait line 9, through preferably a sewed joint. of two adjacent pieces of cloth like the remaining inner plait lines, is, unlike them, ironed flat, as shown in Fig. 6 and wherein the stitching is indicated at. l8 and the turned back and fiat two margins extending together inwardly as at 22 in Fig. 6. I

The formation of the plait lines as above described insures permanency and positive accordion folding in proper direction, and "also forces the inner lines 9' of the two wider double panels 8' inwardly when the skirt is worn so that all plaits look substantially alike.

The reason for making the two opposite panels 8' somewhat wider than two of the regular plait sections is to prevent the inner edges of the plaits from crowding or interference when the skirt is folded to the flat position of Fig. 5.

The waistband portion I2 may be formed of an extension of the plait sections 8 suitably lined,

or it maybe a separate band sewed in place with the plaited lines extending entirely across it, and due to the lace or draw belt extending in and out through each plait section 8 and across each of the plaited lines 9 and I0 and straight outside of the wide panels 8' the free ends of the lace can be readily drawn and will automatically fold all the plaits together into two acfiacent stacks as shown in Fig. 5.

From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawing illustrating the invention, it will be observed that the waistband can easily be adjusted to properly fit different sizes of waists and the lace or draw-belt tied in an artistic bow or the like which can be located at the side or in any location desired.

This adjustability of the size of the waist opening is entirely unique to this skirt, and makes it possible to entirely omit the slit or fly l6, something which cannot be done with skirts as regularly made heretofore.

When the skirt is collapsed to the flat condition, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the skirt can then be folded transversely of the plaits one or more times, or be rolled into an exceptionally compact form for packing, and all without producing a wrinkle in the goods, so that upon opening it up again it will have the appearance of having been freshly ironed.

If desired the lace or draw-belt M where it extends over the wide upper panel 8' and passes into the slots or holes in said panel, may be sewed to the panel as at 23 to avoid a tendency for the two stacks of folded plaits'to be drawn bodily toward one another if the lace or belt ends are pulled too tightly. In this case the folding to fiat position would be done by simply moving-the sections back while holding the free ends of the lace or belt.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape, number of plaits and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I therefore claim:

1. A skirt provided with a series of vertically extending accordion-like foldable plaited sections formed therearound,the plait lines of the sections extending from the extreme upper edge of the waist portion of the skirt to the lower edge of the skirt, and the sections taperingv toward their upper ends, and wider sections interposed in the plaited sections at diametrically opposite points of the skirt so that the plaited sections may be folded flat into two adjacent stacks connected across at opposite sides of the two stacks by said wider sections respectively, and a lace pass ng in and out of openings in adjacent sections at the upper margin of the skirt guiding the sections to folding flat in the manner set out, said lace serving as the sole means for holding said plaited sections in their stacked relation.

2-. A skirt provided with a series of vertically extending accordion-like foldable plaited sections formed therearound, the plaited lines of the sections extending from the extreme upper edge of the waist band portion of the skirt to the lower edge of the skirt, and the sections tapering toward their upper ends, and wider sections formed of a pulrality of said plaits interposed in the plaited sections at diametrically opposite points of the skirt so that the plaited sections may be folded flat into two adjacent stacks connected across at opposite sides of the two stacks by the wider sections respectively, and a lace passing in and out of'openings in adjacent sections at the upper margin of the skirt guiding the sections to folding flat in the manner set out when the ends of the lace are drawn said lace serving as the sole means for holding said plaited sections in their stacked relation.

3. In a structure as set out in claim 1, means anchoring the lace adjacent the margins of one of said wider sections to prevent the two flat stacks of folded sections from being drawn toward one another when.the lace is drawn taut.

"' Jon KORET. 

